Three Oakville residents are facing charges related to items found during the execution of a search warrant at both a Marlborough Court apartment complex and a Burlington storage facility. The drug charges include possession of controlled substances, trafficking and probation violations.
The search warrant was executed at the end of a three-week investigation carried out by the Halton Police District's Strategic Support Group. The three men were allegedly observed engaging in a drug transaction at the Marlborough Court apartment's parking lot. In the course of the investigation, two men were arrested with the police seizing 5.5 ounces of cocaine along with 69 oxycodone tablets, $1,000 in cash and four grams of heroin. The third man was arrested a short time later near his home.
The search warrants were issued for both the apartment and the storage unit, where investigators found a .357 handgun, $45,000 in Canadian cash, seven pounds of marijuana and more heroin, oxycodone and 15 grams of crystal methamphetamine. All total, the street value of the seized drugs is estimated at $180,000.
When someone is arrested as part of a drug sting investigation and operation, it is very possible that the person has little to no involvement in the actual commission of the crime. Many innocent people are taken in drug raids simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is critical that police and investigators are held to high standards in gathering evidence and making charges against individuals. A criminal defense attorney may be able to help someone who has been charged with drug possession or trafficking to either have charges dismissed for lack of evidence or improper procedure or to negotiate a plea to lesser charges.
Source: MSN News .ca, "Drug-related charges for three Oakville men", David Lea, April 30, 2013